


Fire and Ice

by jenniferjun1per



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: Still Have Powers, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-03-10 08:59:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3284504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenniferjun1per/pseuds/jenniferjun1per
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU where Kristoff is a firefighter in the mountains, Anna is European royalty visiting the area with her sister the queen. When Elsa disappears into the mountains Anna undertakes a dangerous mission to find her, managing to convince a reluctant Kristoff to guide her. With the fires raging all around them, will they find Elsa in time?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prelude

Fire and Ice - Prelude

Fire is his life. But only because it had taken away everything he had.

He was young when it happened; stupidly, blissfully young. When nothing else mattered in life except hockey cards, dirt bike riding, and making model airplanes. They had always lived in the mountains, their humble cabin standing proudly amidst the pines that grew there. Theirs was a simple, but profoundly fulfilling life.

Until the night of the worst forest fire that county had ever seen. His father had been fighting the fire relentlessly for days, rarely making it home at night. They had thought they were on the verge of containing it, but one night the wind shifted, and the fire turned on them.

Kristoff doesn't remember seeing or hearing the fire. The door to his room had burst open that night, jarring him out of a peaceful slumber. He had bolted upright in his bed, momentarily dazed, seeing his father rushing towards him, a wild look in his haggard eyes. Kristoff had been terrified as his father frantically scooped him out of his bed, not saying a word as he was carried down the stairs. He clung to his father, a feeling of dread growing in the pit of his stomach. If his father was here, in the middle of the night, then something was terribly, terribly wrong. He didn't need to ask what was happening, no matter how much he tried to deny it in his mind.

No, no, no, this can't be happening! Daddy and the rest of the firefighters will put it out, and everything will be okay, he had thought.

Finally outside, his father had placed him in the waiting arms of a neighbour. He had placed his hand on Kristoff's cheek to make sure he was alright, then turned around and ran back into the burning house. Kristoff was confused, until he looked around and realized his mother was nowhere to be seen.

The night was filled with the crackling sound of fire burning, but it was that one echoing crash that would haunt Kristoff's nightmares for years. House collapsing in on itself, firefighters shouting and running. But the loudest sound of all-

Kristoff screaming.


	2. Chapter 1

Fire and Ice - Chapter 1

"Wakey wakey!" Anna throws open the curtains and the large hotel room is suddenly bathed in blindingly white sunlight.

Elsa groans and pulls the plush duvet over her head.

"Go away." She mumbles.

Anna purses her lips and regards her older sister for a moment. They had never been close, although Anna has faint memories of a childhood filled with shared laughter and mischief. She had only agreed to accompany her sister on this trip out of filial loyalty, this being Elsa's first trip out of Arendelle, her first since being crowned queen. But most importantly, her first trip since their parents' death.

Elsa is still unmoving. Anna sighs, walks over to the king size bed and pulls the duvet off of her sister.

"Hey!" Elsa protests at the sudden exposure.

"It's time to wake up, you have a full day ahead of you!" Anna exclaims excitedly. Royal duty may be a chore for Elsa, but Anna relishes in it, especially if it means seeing new places and meeting new people.

Elsa sits up reluctantly, rubbing at her eyes, finally focusing on her sister. Elsa feels a sudden twinge of regret in her heart as she sees the young woman before her. The last time she had seen Anna they had been children. Anna was being sent off to boarding school, Elsa being kept behind at the palace to be schooled by royal tutors. It had been an easy enough explanation at the time- Elsa being the heir, as such, she needed to learn the ways of royal life and that was much more easily done at the palace. But Elsa knew it was meant to keep Anna away from her. Because she was dangerous.

"Alright, what's first on the list?" She asks, sparing a slight smile for her younger sister. Anna brightens considerably, plops down on the side of the bed and starts rattling off the list of events for the day. Elsa flinches away instinctively, draws herself slightly away from her sister. If Anna noticed she didn't let on, still prattling on.

"...meeting with some local dignitaries, then opening an exhibit at the museum..."

Elsa could feel the pressure building behind her eyes. Oh father, she thinks, I can't do this. It's all too much. She feels the burden of duty press heavily on her and her shoulders slump slightly. It could all be easier, if only she didn't have her own personal cross to bear. Her parents had been the only ones aware of her dark secret and now they were gone, leaving her with no one. Anna didn't know, couldn't know, especially after the accident in their childhood that had separated them and led them on their lonely paths.

As Anna chatters on, Elsa gazes out the window at the snow-capped peaks in the distance, allowing the memory to seep into her mind. They had been playing in the Formal Dining Hall of the palace, Elsa using her powers to create impressively tall mounds of snow, Anna jumping from mound to mound, giggling and crying out for more. Elsa had been caught up in Anna's enthusiasm, and she had been filled with sisterly pride at being able to elicit such unbridled elation from her little sister. But then Elsa slipped, and their worlds had gone to hell.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice breaks Elsa out of her trance.

"Mmm? Oh sorry, what were you saying?"

"I said, we could postpone your duties for the day, if you're not feeling up to it." Anna eyes her sister carefully, clearly unsure as to how their relationship should be playing out now. Elsa can see the concern in Anna's eyes, and the longing, and she wants nothing more than to break down and tell her everything, and they can cry and hold each other, something Elsa has wanted for so long. But it's the touch that Elsa fears the most, even at that moment her hands are safely hidden under the duvet.

"No no, I'm fine, just a bit of jet lag, is all. Let me get dressed, and I'll join you out in the front hall?"

"Sure." Anna slips off the bed and exits the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Elsa breathes a sigh of relief. She's slipping, losing control. Without her parents there to guide her, she can feel the panic rising inside her.

Conceal, don't feel, she repeats the mantra her father had taught her, and it helps a little, if only just taking the edge off. She dresses hurriedly, fixing her platinum blonde hair into a quick braided bun, and goes to join her sister out in the hall.


	3. Chapter 2

Fire and Ice — Chapter 2

Brow furrowed in concentration, he adjusts the knot of his tie until it is sitting perfectly, smoothing down the silk and straightening it one last time. The suit jacket comes next, arms being placed gingerly into sleeves so as not to crease the fine linen of his dress shirt. He straightens his lithe body, buttons the jacket closed, pulls shirt sleeves taut. He rolls the lint brush carefully over his exquisitely tailored suit, examining for any blemish or stray thread. Slipping on his shoes, he is regarding his reflection in the mirror with a critical eye when there's a light knock on the door.

“Yes.” From his mouth it is a statement, not a question.

“Prince Hans, your fiancee is here to see you.” Comes the muffled reply through the thick hotel door.

“Let her in.”

The door opens and Anna walks hesitantly into the room, scanning the large space with wide eyes until she spots him standing in front of the full length mirror. She stops where she is and waits, clasping and unclasping her hands nervously. Biting her lip, she doesn't take her eyes off of him. He finally turns to her, his expression changing.

“Good morning, my love.” a smile spreads across his lips as he walks towards her, arms outstretched. She remains rooted to the spot, until he takes her hands into his, kissing each one softly. She smiles tentatively, shyly, her face reddening as his eyes lock with hers.

“Good morning Hans.” she responds hoarsely, suddenly finding her throat dry.

“How are you this morning, dear? It's such a beautiful day! I'm enamoured by this quaint town!” he drops her hands and moves towards the window, gesturing to the buildings and rooftops below. The morning is crisp and clear, the beginnings of an early autumn day taking shape.

“I'm doing okay. I've just been going over Elsa's schedule with her.” Anna says brightly, grateful for something exciting to share with him.

“Ah yes.” His expression falters momentarily, but not long enough for Anna to notice. “How is your sister doing this morning? She seemed a bit out of sorts when we landed yesterday.” he walks towards the desk, the movement of his body so fluid and deliberate Anna can only stare.

“Uh, she's doing fine, now.” she's vaguely aware that her palms are sweaty, and she swallows nervously, trying to fight the constriction she's feeling in her throat.

“Mmmm.” his attention is diverted, as his phone beeps and he starts tapping a response. Anna takes advantage of the moment, moving towards the window, her eyes taking in the foreign landscape.

It had all happened so fast, she still hadn't absorbed everything that had occurred. Her parents had died, her sister had become queen, and upon finishing school she had been summoned back to the palace. At her sister's coronation ball she had been wooed by a handsome prince, and although she had been taken aback by his sudden proposal, she had still accepted. Gazing out at the early morning sky, she reflects on the events that have turned her once placid life into a whirlwind of emotions. She doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She starts when a hand is placed on her shoulder, but it's only him, only Hans. She needs to become accustomed to his touch, and wonders when her awkwardness and bewilderment of him will abate. She turns to look at him and he's smiling at her, the corners of his mouth turned upwards, his green eyes practically glowing, the freckles across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose standing out against his pale skin.

“Can I just express my gratitude to you and your sister, for allowing me to tag along on your little trip?”

“Oh, it's fine. Elsa was glad for the company.” Anna fidgets and turns away. It's a blatant lie, and she's not very good at lying, so she doesn't want him to see. Elsa had been shocked when they announced their engagement, but surprisingly had not dissuaded them. It had become clear however, that she did not approve. Anna was still figuring her sister out, but her body language every time she was around Hans certainly gave away her exact opinion of him. Anna had meant to confront her sister about this when the need for their current trip became urgent, and royal matters had therefore superseded sisterly ones.

“Ah. Well, I'm hoping to spend some more time with your sister, get to know her better. We'll be family soon! We should get to know each other, don't you agree?”

Anna smiles weakly, as she's hit with the sudden realization that she really does not know anything about this man.


	4. Chapter 3

Fire and Ice - Chapter 3

The gala is in full swing, guests mingling merrily in the cavernous halls. Elsa had been indecisive on the choice of location for the gala celebrating her visit, her sister having to step in and make the decision for her. Since Anna loved art, she had chosen an art gallery.

Anna moves through the crowd, pausing now and then to converse with a dignitary, or share a laugh with a local politician. She is sure and confident and very much within her element – while Elsa is not.

Elsa stands at the center of the main hall, as befitting her status as guest of honour. She stands with royal bearing, head held high, shoulders straight, hands placed in front of one another. Outwardly, she is the epitome of a young queen. Inside, she is screaming.

“Wonderful party, isn’t it? The turnout is better than I thought!” Anna had found her sister in the crowd. Grabbing a flute of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray, she offers it to her older sister. Elsa declines with a shake of her hand, bows her head.

“Are you… okay?” Anna asks hesitantly, tilting her head to look into her sister’s face. Elsa falters for a moment, her features contorting, but regains her composure quickly. The mask slips back into place, and she regards her sister with a tight smile.

“I’m fine. Just tired, I guess. It’s been a long day.” Elsa laughs, trying to make light of the situation, but her laugh is hollow.

“Well, hang in there just a little longer, okay? The party’s almost over, and we can go home tomorrow.” Anna starts, wishing she could alleviate some of her older sister’s stress.

_Home_. Elsa thinks. _And what will be waiting for me there? A life of royal duty_.

“… for one, will be so happy to be in my own bed! Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing new places, but nothing beats-“

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you all night! Good evening, majesty.” Hans sketches into a low bow in front of Elsa. Her mask still in place, she nods to her sister’s fiancé. He turns to Anna with a smile baring his perfect white teeth.

“My dear, I wish you would stay by my side more often at these gatherings. I don’t like to feel abandoned by my own wife.” His tone is light, but Anna feels the bite in it. She’s about to answer, when Elsa interjects.

“She’s not your wife.” Elsa says, with a bite of her own. Her mask is still on, but she gives her sister’s fiancé a hint of her steely gaze.

“Pardon, your majesty. Not yet she isn’t, but she will be soon enough.” He smiles broadly, and if he had detected the bite in Elsa’s tone he didn’t let on. He turns to Anna and wraps his fingers around her elbow, pressing into the skin. Anna inhales sharply at his touch, and none of this exchange is lost on Elsa.

“Come along, dear. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” He’s about to steer Anna away, when Elsa’s voice stops him.

“Excuse me, _Prince Hans_ , but I am not done speaking with my sister.” She says tightly, her hands flexing involuntarily at her sides.

“It’s alright, Elsa.” Anna says gently, but firmly.

“NO! It’s not alright, Anna!”  Elsa clenches her hands into fists at her sides, barely able to contain her emotions.

“Your majesty, I humbly beg your pardon, but-“

“I wasn’t addressing you.” Elsa says curtly, turning her head ever so slightly in Hans’ direction.

“Elsa, what is your problem?!” Anna’s patience with her sister snaps. She knew she needed to confront her about Hans, she just didn’t know she’d be doing it so soon.

“Anna, don’t speak to me like that, I am still your queen.” Her tone is final, but Anna won’t budge.

“But you’re also my sister!! What’s going on? Do you have a problem with me and Hans?”

“We’ll talk about this later, Anna.” Elsa moves to get past Anna, wanting to get away.

“NO! We’re talking about it NOW!” Anna grips Elsa’s arm as she begins to turn away. Elsa can feel the blood rising to her face, and more than that, the telltale buzz of her power flowing through her. She needs to stop now, to let this go, to stem the flow of anger coursing through her. But she catches sight of the haughty smugness on her sister’s fiance’s face, and she loses control.

Ice forms at her feet, spreading outward in a kaleidoscopic pattern across the floor. It reaches the walls and climbs, covering the walls and the paintings on them in a fine layer of perfectly formed ice. At first, no one notices, until someone tries to take a step and loses traction, falling in a heap on the floor. Panic spreads as people start to notice the frozen floor, the chill in the air, the ice creeping up the paintings on the walls. No one realizes it is the queen who is the cause, until everyone is on the floor, having been unable to keep their balance, and she is the only one remaining standing.

Elsa, the newly crowned queen of Arendelle, standing alone in the middle of the gallery. Her eyes are closed, as if she could will away this catastrophe by simply shutting her eyes to it. It’s Anna who breaks the silence, regaining her composure and scrambling to her feet.

“Elsa?” She calls out hesitantly. At the sound of her voice, Elsa’s eyes suddenly shoot open, and glancing around quickly, she realizes the gravity of what she’s done.

_All those years of Papa teaching me to conceal it, and it comes to this. I’m so sorry, Papa. I’ve failed you_.

As Anna reaches out to her, she turns swiftly on her heel and runs.

 

“Elsa!” Anna tries to get to her feet, but the ice is too slippery and her heels have no traction. She’s cursing the slick surface, her choice of footwear, and her sister, when she feels someone grab her under her arms and help her to a standing position.

“Well. That was certainly an interesting turn of events.” Hans says drily, as he swipes ice particles off his pants.

 Anna’s mind is racing. She can’t quite wrap her head around what’s happening. Where did the ice come from? Was it Elsa? Was it some kind of trick? Was it _magic_? She presses her fingertips to her temples, willing her brain to work something out, but nothing’s coming to her. Hans touches her shoulder, and she jumps.

 “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He asks, his face a perfect mask of concern.

“N-no, I’m fine.” Anna replies hastily, reflexively pulling her shoulder away.

 “Did you know?” His eyes are questioning, burning into her.

Anna pauses. She thinks about Elsa’s isolation during their childhood, and everything suddenly starts clicking into place. She’s re-living her memories now, flashbacks coming to her, events that made no sense at the time suddenly having an explanation. Elsa never wanting to touch her. The chill in the air she would leave in her wake. Mama and Papa spending long hours locked in Elsa’s room, their faces long and haggard when they would leave. Elsa never letting her in.

“Anna?” Hans is still there, waiting for an answer. At the moment, Anna has none. She looks up at him blankly, her eyes wide.

“No. No, I didn’t know.” She hangs her head, conflicting emotions swirling like mist in her brain. She’s shocked, she’s angry, she feels betrayed. She’s also afraid – afraid _of_ her sister, afraid _for_ her sister. She needs to find her, and find her fast. Before anyone else does.

“Hans.” She takes his hands in hers, and he’s taken aback since he’s always been the first to initiate physical contact in their relationship. “I need your help.”

“Of course, love. Anything.” He replies earnestly, looking deeply into her eyes for good measure.

“I need you to stay here, take care of these people, you know, smooth over the situation.” She’s grasping at straws, but she knows with Hans’ PR skills he can handle it.

“Of course.” He responds, rather quickly and without question. “You have my word.”

“Th-thank you.” Anna sighs with relief. “I’ll owe you one.”

“Be careful, princess. I might take you up on that offer one day.” He smiles cheekily at her, but there’s something else in his tone. Anna shrugs it off, gives his hands a good squeeze and turns to go.

“Wait! Do you even know where she is? What if she’s dangerous? I don’t want you to get hurt.” He grips her arm, and his touch is a tad forceful. Anna winces slightly, but forces herself to smile at him.

“She’s my sister. She would never hurt me.” Gently she detaches herself from his grip and runs out the door.


	5. Chapter 4

Fire and Ice – Chapter 4

_The forest is no place for a princess_ , she thinks, _especially a princess in heels and a cocktail dress_. Again, she’s cursing her choice of footwear, as her thin heels sink into the soft dirt at every step.

She had run in the direction she thought Elsa had gone, asking people along the way if they had seen her run by. A few people had, and they had pointed her in the direction of the forest.

_Where are you going, Elsa?_

Anna looks in the direction of the trail, and realizes it’s leading up into the mountains.

_Of course_.

They had grown up around mountains, so Elsa must be going where she thinks she’ll be safe. Or maybe she’s heading somewhere where people will be safe from her.

_Oh Elsa_ , Anna thinks.

_If only you had trusted me_.

Anna’s eyes well with tears as she thinks about the pain her sister must be going through. It strengthens her resolve, as she steps with more purpose, determination echoing with every footfall.

She’s making great headway (she thinks), surprised that she’s been able to get as far as she has in heels, when she starts to notice a change in her surroundings.

The forest still looks the same, but what she notices is the sound. Earlier, it had been the sound of animals – birds chirping, squirrels scooting around the trees, the sounds of crickets and other insects filling the air.

Now, she hears none of this. The only sound is a loud crackling, like the sounds of a campfire being amplified on a loudspeaker. Anna looks through the trees and sees a haze in the distance, as if she’s looking through a gauzy film. She walks further through the trees, towards the haze, when the wind shifts and she’s assaulted with it.

It’s as if someone’s opened an oven, and the wave of heat hits you. Anna is taken aback, confused.

Before she can discern what’s happening, there’s the sound of a thunderous crack, and then a loud creaking pierces the air as a huge tree starts to topple. She can barely register a scream before something hits her, hard and heavy, propelling her in the opposite direction.

Winded, she looks up from the ground where she’s landed to see a firefighter looming over her.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing??” He’s yelling, but through his mask she can barely make out the words. She’s looking at him with confusion in her eyes, so he rips the mask off in exasperation, leveling her with a stern glare.

“I said, what the hell are you doing up here? You could’ve been killed!” He reaches out a hand to help her up, and as she takes it, she’s surprised at his strong grip and the ease with which he’s pulled her to a standing position. As she stands in front of him, she realizes she has to look up, a good distance up, just to see his face.

“Uh, I’m- uh- looking for someone.” Anna replies in a small voice, suddenly realizing how ridiculous that must sound to him. “You wouldn’t happen to have seen her? Did she come by here at all?” Ridiculous or not, she has to ask.

“Are you crazy? We’re fighting a Rank 5 fire out here! No one’s out here! Well, no one’s _supposed_ to be out here.” He suddenly stops and takes a good look at her, brown eyes surveying her from head to toe. “We evacuated everyone in the area. How did you get past our patrols?”

Anna suddenly feels self-conscious under his scrutiny. He’s a great deal taller than her, towering over her, his large frame made bulkier by his gear. He’s holding his helmet and mask in one hand, and as he watches her he ruffles his shaggy blond hair with the other. Sweat is glistening on his brow, and he’s covered in fine black soot.

Anna swallows nervously. She needs to find her sister, but she can’t do it alone, especially in the middle of a raging forest fire. This big, grumpy man is her only hope.

“I have my ways.” She says evasively, which elicits a groan from the firefighter.

“Well, miss feisty pants, you need to get-“ He’s starting to admonish her when a loud voice rings out from the trees.

“Bjorgman! Let’s go! It’s on the move again!”

The big firefighter sighs loudly, putting on his mask and helmet as he turns away from her.

“Wait!” Anna runs after him, grabs a hold of his arm and holds onto it tightly.

“What are you doing?!” He yells at her through the mask.

“I need your help! I need to find my sister! She’s out here, in the forest somewhere, and she’s probably scared.” Anna clutches at his arm, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

He pauses, looks at her for a moment through his mask. The moment feels like an eternity to Anna, but finally he pulls his mask off and regards her with inscrutable eyes.

“Which way did she go.” He says with a heavy sigh.

Anna almost leaps into the air with joy.

 

 


	6. Chapter 5

Fire and Ice – Chapter 5

Being a firefighter had always been in his blood. His father had been a firefighter, and his father’s father before that. As his mother had loved to tell it, his first word had been “fire”, followed closely by “daddy”. He had grown up in awe of it, and his father had also made sure he had a healthy dose of fear and respect for it.

His training had not been easy. Losing his parents at a young age in a fire – the cruel irony had not been lost on him. Fire had become his bane, and he sought to conquer it. And so he had thrown himself into the hellish training, entering boot camp a scrawny, awkward teenager, and emerging a strong and supremely fit man.

He joined a fire crew right away, which was unheard of, but he had shown so much promise, and such _fervor_ during boot camp that he didn’t go unnoticed. His crew became his family, perhaps to take place of the one he had been robbed of as a child. Together they controlled the seemingly demon-possessed fires that would rage at times in their beloved mountain home, with hearts full of fear and respect. It’s what kept them alive.

Now, this stranger, this _interloper_ , had invaded their realm. She had no fear. She had no respect. The fire would take her, would consume her, with no mercy, with no fear of retribution, relentlessly devouring her until nothing was left but ash.

Kristoff, who ruled over these fires run rampant on the mountain, couldn’t let such a thing happen. Not on his watch.

\---

_Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._

_Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._

_Pause_.

Kristoff inhales deeply. The sharp scent of burning pine assaults his nose, the slight chill in the air doing little to assuage it. Turning his head slowly, he takes note of the strange young woman still following him. He mutters under his breath, not sure if he thinks she’s crazy or if he should be impressed she’s been able to keep up with him. Barely, that is.

“Do you wanna find your sister or what? Pick it up, princess. I haven’t got all day. Some of us have work to do.” He doesn’t stop walking as he addresses her gruffly, his long strides plowing through the bush effortlessly.

“I- I’m coming.” Anna can barely speak, her breath coming in short huffs, her lungs burning, both from the effort as well as the invariable smoke that’s swirling in the autumn air. Unable to go any further, she doubles over and coughs violently.

Halting himself in his tracks, Kristoff sighs loudly.

“The smoke’s only gonna get worse the higher up we go. You won’t last much longer without oxygen.” He’s hoping this will be enough to turn her back.

“S’okay, I’ll be alright… just gimme a minute.” She’s wheezing, clearly winded, so she leans against the nearest tree.

Kristoff walks up to where she’s standing, trying to catch her breath, and shakes his head.

“Why are you so determined to find her? Why not just call the authorities to track her down?” His questions are far too probing for Anna’s taste, as she shifts uncomfortably on her sore feet.

“Well, uh, she’s my sister… and, um, she’s a queen and all, so… wouldn’t want to start an international incident, right?” She’s rubbing her hands together nervously, trying to hide the quake in them, knowing how bad of a liar she is. She avoids his gaze, biting her bottom lip.

“Why is she running away then?” He cocks an eyebrow at her, clearly unwilling to give up the game.

Anna slumps against the tree, shoulders sagging.

“It’s my fault, really.” She says in a small voice. Kristoff leans forward, his features spreading into a look of curiousity. He doesn’t speak, just waits for her to continue.

“You see, she doesn’t like my fiancé, and I don’t know why, and she was really rude to him at the party, so I stuck up for him, and she got angry.”

“Why doesn’t she like him?”

“I just said I don’t know.”

“Well, she must have a reason. Does she know him well? How long have _you_ known him?”

Anna is taken aback by how quickly this stranger has gotten to the root of the problem. Her mouth falls open in shock.

“I- uh- I’ve known Hans for, like- um, a while…”

Kristoff narrows his gaze at her, bringing his face closer to hers.

“How long is ‘a while’?”

Anna bites her lip again. Kristoff is still staring at her, his face hanging mere inches from hers, his brown eyes questioning.

“A week-“

“A WEEK??”

“-or two…”

“You mean to tell me you got engaged to a guy you’d only known for TWO WEEKS??”

“No! I didn’t say that!” Anna stomps her foot indignantly. “I’ve been _engaged_ to him for two weeks.”

“Wait, wait, wait-“ Kristoff shakes his head, “So you’ve been engaged to him for two weeks, but you’ve only known him for two weeks, so that must mean-“

Anna groans. She’s suddenly aware of how ridiculous it all must sound to an outsider.

“No way. No freakin’ way. You mean to tell me, you got engaged to a guy on the first day you met him?? Does he have a big-“

“EXCUSE ME!! He is a prince!”

“-bank account?” Kristoff smirks, “Wait, what did you think I was going to say?”

“Never mind.” Anna can feel the blood rising to her cheeks, “Anyway, it’s true love. Something I’m sure YOU know nothing about.” She tries for a haughty royal air, lifting her chin like her sister does, but it’s undone by the shakiness in her voice and the nervous fidgeting of her hands.

Kristoff throws his head back and laughs, slapping his knee for good measure.

“What do you think this is, princess? A fairy tale? There’s no such thing.”

“Oh yeah? And what makes you such an expert on love, huh?” Her lips quiver with anger, blue eyes piercing him with unbridled rage.

“I may know a thing or two about it,” He shrugs noncommittally, averting his gaze as her blue orbs bore into him, “Never said I was an expert though.” He mutters the last part under his breath, his eyes roaming over the forest, the ground, the sky, everywhere but her face.

“I knew it!” She shrieks in triumph, almost jumping into the air, “I knew you knew nothing about true love! You’re such a-“

“Stop talking.” He suddenly clamps a large hand over her mouth, eyes now searching the trees in earnest.

“Mmmffftt” Anna pulls his hand away, her face red and contorted, “Hey! What’d you do that for? I-“

“I mean it, stop talking!” This time his tone is enough to stop her in her tracks. His face is serious, mouth set in a hard line, brow furrowed in concentration. He’s stopped walking as well, standing in a small clearing, his eyes searching the forest canopy.

“What is it?” Anna whispers, slowly moving towards him, wincing as her footfalls crunch twigs and leaves underneath her.

Kristoff crouches low to the ground. Anna hadn’t realized he was still wearing his gloves, and he didn’t take them off to feel the blanket of pine needles, dead leaves and grass at his feet. He presses his fingers down on the somewhat springy surface, then lifts his head and eyes the surrounding trees in their immediate vicinity. His face is tense, and Anna can see the beads of sweat forming on his temple. She swallows, placing her hand to her throat, suddenly feeling the dryness in the air.

“What is it?” She moves even closer to him, the words escaping her mouth again almost involuntarily. He lowers his head, and finally captures her gaze. The look in his eyes fills Anna with dread.

“It’s coming.”

Before she can even register the meaning behind his words, the wind shifts, and she’s hit with a wall of heat so intense it throws her back against him. He instinctively pulls her to the ground, flattening himself on top of her as the wave of heat washes over them. He lifts his head for only a moment.

“Are you okay?” He’s shouting, and Anna is wondering why. She can only nod, as the impact had pushed all the air out of her lungs. “Come on then!” He’s pulling her up, and she’s holding tightly to him as she realizes her knees feel like jelly.

“We need to get out of here!” He’s still shouting, and she starts to open her mouth to ask why, when a flash of orange catches her eye. She looks around the clearing, and her blue eyes widen. They are surrounded by angry, orange flame.


	7. Chapter 6

Fire and Ice - Chapter 6

“MOVE!” Kristoff is yelling. He’s already at the tree line, as smoke starts to cloud Anna’s vision. Soon the air will be heavy with black smoke, it’s already making her eyes water and her throat feel like sandpaper.

She starts to run, to move towards him, when she realizes she can’t move. She looks down to see the heel of her shoe entangled in the soft moss and twig bed at her feet.

“COME ON!” She can hear his voice, barely, the crackling sounds of the fire almost drowning him out, but at this point she can no longer see him. Panic sets in, as she pulls desperately at her foot, sweat trickling down her face, her heart pounding.

“I’m stuck!” She yells back at him, straining her throat to get the words out, as the thick smoke is threatening to choke her. Tears start to fall down her face, as the thought hits her that she might not get out of this alive.

_No, it can’t end like this._

_I need to find my sister._

With renewed purpose she yanks at her foot with all of the strength she can muster, and she almost screams with joy when her foot comes free. The momentum is pushing her backward into the flames when strong arms materialize out of the smoke, catching her and dragging her to the relative safety of the tree line.

“Are you okay?” He’s holding her quite close to him, his eyes searching her face. She blinks back at him, still quite stunned. She manages a nod finally, and satisfied, he releases his hold.

Anna feels something she can’t quite place when he lets go of her, but unable to define it, she shakes her head to clear her thoughts.

“If you can manage, we need to keep moving to get away from the active line. That clearing is a huge repository for fast-burning fuel. We need to keep going up, through the trees.” He’s already walking ahead, at a somewhat fast pace, his large frame moving fluidly and almost gracefully through the trees.

Anna watches him for only a moment before she runs after him, stumbling about on unsure footing, certainly not quite as graceful.

\---

“So. What are you planning to do once we find your sister?”

They’re passing through dense brush now, Kristoff hacking now and then at errant branches in their path. He’s huffing with the effort, sweat streaking down his soot-stained face. His coat is tied around his waist, his white undershirt damp with sweat and filthy with ash. Through the thin material Anna can see his muscles straining and flexing, the wet fabric outlining every exertion.

“Um. I’m gonna talk to her, of course.”

Kristoff stops dead in his tracks, Anna almost walking right into the back of him as she hadn’t been paying attention.

“Are you serious? That’s your plan? I’m risking my life out here, and leaving my crew short one man by the way, so that you could have a little _chat_ with your sister?” He turns to her, an incredulous look on his face.

“Well, this all happened so suddenly! I haven’t really had much time to formulate a better plan!” Anna spits the words out in haste. She’s annoyed that she can’t think of something better, and she’s annoyed at the maddening effect this man has on her.

Kristoff smirks as he spies the frustration evident on her face.

“Can I just say something?”

“I’m sure you will anyway, whether I say yes or no.” Anna mumbles.

“Most people who disappear into the mountains want to be alone.”

“Sage advice, smarty pants, but my sister has been alone all her life. I’m sure it’s the last thing she wants.”

“Or the only thing.”

Anna’s head snaps up at this last comment, but he’s already turning around, forging ahead through the brush once again.

\---

“There’s no way around it. We’ve gotta go through it.”

“Are you SERIOUS? You wanna walk through a FIRE?!”

“Anna, relax. I do this for a living.”

“But _I_ don’t!! You’re not the one wearing a designer dress and shoes that cost more than most people’s houses!!”

Kristoff turns to give her a look.

“Hey, it’s not my fault you walked up here in that outfit. Now come on, we can do this.” He removes the pack from his back and fishes out a fire blanket, unrolling it and moving to put it over Anna’s head.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell is that?” Anna backs up with her hands held up in front of her.

“It’s a fire blanket, Anna. Normally it’s used to put out fires, but this one’s too big. I figured we could put it over our heads while we make a run for it.”

“No no no no no, no way!”

“Anna, please, you have to trust me. This is the only way. It’s either this, or we head back. Your choice.” His brown eyes are pleading, and Anna looks deep into them for any signs of deceit. Somehow, she believes him, something in his eyes and the tone of his voice that calms her.

“Okay fine. How do we do this?” She relents, but she’s still shaking.

“Okay, so put the blanket over your head, and climb onto my back.” Kristoff hands her the blanket, his tone so matter-of-fact that he could’ve been discussing sports scores or the weather, anything but how to protect oneself from burning to death.

“This is some crazy trust exercise.” Anna mutters under her breath, as she throws the blanket over her head and shoulders, and prepares to climb the mountain of a firefighter in front of her.

“Okay, now you have to hold on tight to the blanket, no matter what, got that? I’m gonna warn you that it’ll be hot, hotter than anything you’ve ever felt, but you’ve gotta hang on to that blanket, okay?”

Anna gulps nervously as she situates herself on Kristoff’s muscular back. She wraps the blanket around her and clutches it tightly.

“Ready?” Anna’s about to scream ‘no’, she’s not ready, she’s changed her mind and wants to go back, but Kristoff suddenly takes off running, and it takes all of her strength to hold on to him and the blanket. She’s expecting to fall off, or get fried to a crisp, and certainly it’s so hot she feels like her skin is melting, but what she’s not expecting is to make it to the other side. So naturally she’s shocked when she hears Kristoff’s voice in her ear.

“You can let go of me now, Anna.”

She opens her eyes, not even realizing she had closed them, and looks around. They’re on the other side of the clearing.

“Oh thank GOD!” She slides off his back and falls into a heap on the forest ground, breathing so deeply Kristoff worries she’ll inhale some pine needles.

“Alright, come on princess, let’s go.” He helps her to a standing position, lips forming into a crooked smile.

“What are you smiling about?” She eyes him suspiciously.

“Oh, I’m just glad that little stunt of mine worked.”

“WHAT??!! You said you did that all the time!”

“To be fair, I didn’t say that exactly… In theory, it _should_ work, so I’m glad we were able to prove it. Now come on! Time to find the queen!”

Anna grumbles to herself as she watches his burly form disappear into the trees.

_When we get out of this alive, I’m gonna kill him,_ she thinks _._


	8. Chapter 7

Fire and Ice - Chapter 7

“What do we do now?” Anna frowns as she stares up at the sheer rock face in front of them. She shakes her head in frustration, hands wringing at her sides. She knows Elsa is out there, and they can’t afford to lose more time.

“We’ll have to find another way up. I’ve only got one rope, and it’s definitely not long enough for-“ Kristoff had set down his pack and was rummaging through it when pebbles start raining down on his back. “What the-“ He looks up to see Anna plastered to the cliff face, arms and legs splayed out, gripping perilously to the rock.

“Anna, what the hell are you doing?” He folds his arms across his broad chest, smirking up at her.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m climbing.” She says between huffs of exertion. “We definitely don’t have time to be running around looking for another way up.” She tries a hold, slips, tries another one, “This is the fastest way to get to my sister.”

“You’re gonna kill yourself.”

“No I’m not!”

“Do you even know how to climb?” He calls out to her, unable to suppress the tease in his tone.

“Of course I do! I grew up in the mountains, if you must know!” She tries for a foothold, but the grip-less sole of her shoe causes her foot to slip off, leaving her dangling from the cliff face. “Okay, well, I grew up _near_ them. Anyway, it’s not like I’ve never climbed a mountain before.”

“Coulda fooled me.” Kristoff mutters under his breath.

“What was that?” Anna calls down to him, foot still trying to find a hold.

“I said, hold on, I’m coming.” He ties the rope around his waist snugly before replacing the pack on his back, and ascending the rock face until he’s level with Anna. He slips the other end of the rope around her waist, and proceeds to tie a bowline knot with one free hand.

“What if we fall?” She watches him work the rope with wide eyes, his large fingers somehow still dexterous as he loops the rope around and through.

“Well, quite simply, we die. And you don’t find your sister.” He pulls the rope taut, causing Anna to inhale sharply.

“Wonderful.” Anna mutters, rolling her eyes to the sky, “Your vote of confidence is overwhelming.”

Kristoff can’t help the smile spreading across his cheeks, turning his face away from her so she can’t see. He may not be able to admit it to himself, but he’s starting to appreciate her spunk.

“Don’t worry, just follow my lead and we’ll be okay. I’ll climb first, you follow my footholds, got it?”

“Got it!” Anna attempts to feign enthusiasm, hoping he won’t catch the tremble in her voice.

“Alright, here we go.” He clambers up the side of the cliff at a measured pace, looking down now and then to make sure she’s putting her feet in the right holds, correcting her when necessary, and calling out words of encouragement.

“Great job, Anna, we’re almost there! You’re doing well!”

Anna grumbles under her breath, and if she hadn’t been concentrating on not falling off of a cliff, her muscles screaming, fingers raw, breath coming in labored huffs, she would probably be screaming obscenities at him.

After what seems like an eternity, they reach the top of the ledge, Kristoff hauling himself over and helping Anna climb up the rest of the way. She falls in a heap on the ground, panting, fighting to calm her breathing. Kristoff rests only for a moment, before he straightens up, and begins untying the rope and coiling it to stow it away in his pack again. He pulls out his canteen and hands it to Anna.

“Can I just say, you did pretty well down there.” He’s looking at her now, his brown eyes intense, and Anna is taken aback as she takes a swig of water. “I’m seriously impressed.”

The water almost shoots out of her mouth, and she regards him for a moment, slack-jawed. She had expected a lot of things from this rough, grumpy man, but being complimented is not one of them.

“Uh… thanks? I told you I’d climbed mountains before, so you shouldn’t be so surprised.” She retorts haughtily, pushing her chin up into the air. Kristoff only smiles, a bemused look overtaking his features. This time he doesn’t turn away, and Anna notices that when he smiles, his eyes crinkle ever so slightly in the corners.

\---

“You never really answered my question.”

“I’m sorry?”

They’re walking through a small clearing, the air so very still it makes Kristoff nervous, like the calm before a storm. He’s talking to keep his mind off of it, but also because he’s now very curious about her story.

“About your sister. Why you won’t just leave it to the authorities to find her. Why does it have to be you?”

Anna’s features contort into pain, confusion, frustration. She hesitates, not sure if she should be revealing such secrets to this stranger, this _outsider_.

“Well, she’s my sister, you know? I- I haven’t seen her in years… and we used to be so close when we were kids… I thought that- well, when we were reunited again, that we could- um- just be _close_ again, but she was still so _distant_ , and I tried so hard to get through to her, but-“ She pauses then, biting her lip, and Kristoff waits but she doesn’t say any more.

“You really want to find her, don’t you?” He asks quietly, not quite meeting her gaze.

“More than anything.” She whispers, as she wipes the back of her hand across her eyes.

They walk for a few more minutes in silence, when they both notice different things. Kristoff’s eyes dart toward the trees, and the sky, and he sees it. Smoke.

“Anna-“ He’s about to tell her they need to leave, they need to run, but she’s standing there, so still, staring at something in the distance.

“What is it?” He asks before he turns to look for himself.

“Elsa.” She whispers.

And then fire is erupting all around them.

\--

"Elsa!" Anna has to shout her name several times before Elsa can even hear her, over her mind frantically whirling in worry and fear, and the angry fire crackling in the trees all around them.

Elsa starts, turns around and regards Anna with a look of dread.

"Anna, you have to go back! You're not safe here!" And somehow Anna realizes Elsa is not referring to the fire.

"I'm not going back without you, Elsa!" Anna is still advancing, Elsa retreating at every step, a look of sheer terror in her eyes. Kristoff looks around the clearing nervously. He touches Anna's shoulder tentatively.

"Anna, we need to get out of here. Now."

Anna pulls away from Kristoff's touch.

"No! I'm not going anywhere without my sister!" She turns to Elsa, pleading. "Elsa please, we can work this out together! I'm here for you!"

Elsa looks longingly at Anna, reason and emotion fighting within her. She wants nothing more than to run into her sister's arms and have her hold her and tell her everything will be alright. But Elsa knows she can't put her sister in danger like that. Resolutely, with all of the authority and coldness she can muster, she straightens herself up and stares straight into her sister's eyes.

"Anna, go back. Leave now, and don't ever come looking for me again." She says, with such convincing finality that Anna flinches as if she's been struck. But Anna doesn't fold that easily, she never has.

"NO! I'm not leaving here without you-" Anna advances on Elsa but Elsa quickly sidesteps her, ending up level with Kristoff, who has been watching the fire carefully, one ear on the sisters' exchange. There's a sickeningly loud crackling sound, and then a large tree, engulfed in flames, crashes into the clearing, effectively separating Anna from Kristoff and Elsa.

"ANNA!" They both scream. Elsa is frozen in fear, but Kristoff reacts, years of training kicking him into gear. He scrambles to the ground and starts pulling up fistfuls of dirt, throwing them wildly at the fire in front of him. He knows it's a pointless exercise but it's all he can do. He's yelling at Elsa to help him, knowing they have little time, but Elsa is not responding. The heat is becoming unbearable, choking him and making his eyes water. His fingertips are ragged and bloody but he doesn't dare stop, knowing he is Anna's only hope at being saved.

But he's wrong. There is a sudden whooshing sound, like air being sucked out of a bottle too quickly, and a blast of moist cold air hits him hard, throwing him back.

Kristoff blinks, not sure he's seeing what his eyes are telling him. Through the haze he sees a figure hunched on the ground, clothing blackened with ash. The ground all around her is charred, steam rising in great columns. On instinct he stumbles to his feet and runs to her, heedless of his own safety. Reaching her, he grabs her by the shoulders but suddenly hisses in pain, pulling his hands back into his chest. He curses loudly, berating himself for not realizing her clothing would be burning hot. It takes a second for him to realize that the burning he feels is not heat, but cold. Anna is ice cold.

He’s momentarily stunned, when Anna stirs and moans weakly. Gingerly, with injured hands he cradles her, already her clothing is warming and melting, the fire around them encroaching on the clearing once more.

"Anna? Can you hear me?" He touches her face, and it's cold, so cold. He is expecting lots of things, having found people in situations like this all the time in his line of work, but he was not expecting this. He checks her face, arms, hands, expecting to see burned flesh, but finds it completely unmarred.

He’s awash in confusion, his eyes darting around the clearing for some clues as to what is causing this anomaly. Finally he sees her, Elsa, standing a good distance away. Her arms are outstretched, as if beckoning to someone, fingers splayed outward. From her fingers, blue tendrils of ice are swirling out, sputtering in the heat of the inferno surrounding her. He’s dimly aware that she should be collapsing from the heat and smoke, but he’s too stunned to comprehend what’s occurring. He can only watch as she stands there amidst the flames, like a regal sculpture made of ice, not a single bead of sweat on her forehead, her platinum blonde hair swirling.

"Elsa!" He calls. He has no idea what is happening, but he knows Anna needs help, and if he has to carry her down the mountain it will be slow going, so he wants to tell Elsa to run ahead and alert the authorities. Elsa snaps from her trance upon hearing her name, her eyes slowly taking in the scene before her. Once her gaze alights upon Anna, limp in Kristoff's arms, her face collapses in grief and fear.

"Oh my god, Anna!" She starts to run to her, but stops, as if the realization just hit her that it’s her fault Anna is hurt. A flash of pain sweeps across her face, and then it changes. Her features set in determination, she turns on her heel and runs.

Kristoff's mouth falls open in shock, unable to comprehend Elsa’s actions. He looks around quickly and makes a split second decision, as the inferno is quickly engulfing the clearing. He'll never make it down the mountain in time, so he runs in the direction of the only person in these woods he knows can help.

 


	9. Chapter 8

Fire and Ice - Chapter 8

The dilapidated cabin stands amidst the trees, hidden from view by the tall pines and overgrown brush. The structure is so small and old, the wood so worn and discoloured that to the untrained eye it might seem abandoned. Slats are missing on the floor of the tiny porch, the wood on the steps below splintered and cracked. The path leading from it is not so much a path as a stretch of stamped down vegetation. Along this path, a path he’s tread so many times before, comes Kristoff, cradling Anna in his arms. His extensive training has well prepared him for such an ordeal; carrying such a weight over a great distance on inhospitable terrain, injured as he is himself.

He’s a few feet from the front door when he starts yelling. He can’t afford to waste more time.

“Grand Pabbie! Bulda!”

The door swings open on creaky hinges and a portly, middle-aged woman comes running out, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Kristoff! What’s happened?” She scans the scene in front of her, Kristoff covered in ash, sweating from exertion, a woman unconscious in his arms.

“We were caught in a flash fire, a tree fell, I- I think she’s injured.” He’s running past Bulda through the door of the cabin, his eyes adjusting to the dim light, as he sets Anna gingerly down on the ratty couch in the small living room. Besides the couch, there is a small table with two mismatched chairs - otherwise the room is sparsely furnished. A fire is burning in the small fireplace, and that, along with the small, dusty window above the couch, give the room its only light.

“What do you mean, you ‘think’? Is she injured or not?” Bulda brushes past him to examine Anna for herself. Kristoff steps back a little, allowing Bulda to see with her own eyes.

“Well I’ll be damned.” She clucks, as she continues to poke and prod Anna gently. “Not a burn or even a scratch on her.”

Kristoff remains quiet, knowing what the next question will be.

“But Kristoff… she’s so _cold_.” Bulda is shaking her head, not even believing the words as they’re coming out of her mouth.

At that moment, a wizened old man, just as portly as Bulda, comes shuffling out of the other room, leaning heavily on his cane. His clothes are old and threadbare, but clean. He looks up at Kristoff, eyes sharp despite the years etched on his countenance.

“There is some strange magic at work here.” He’s nodding his head, his wrinkled face grave.

“Grand Pabbie, can you help her?” Kristoff turns to the old man, pleading. He’s exhausted, bewildered, his hands are numb, but the only thing he’s sure of is that he wants Anna to be alright. His thoughts are of nothing else.

Grand Pabbie shuffles over to the couch, Kristoff bringing over a chair for him. Bulda helps him to sit so he can examine Anna, his eyes narrowing as he brings his face closer. He reaches out a tentative hand, crooked and wrinkled with age, to touch Anna’s cheek. At contact, he recoils, hissing with pain. Bulda starts, and Kristoff runs over to Anna’s side.

“Grand Pabbie!”

“It’s alright, Kristoff, I’m okay.” Grand Pabbie shakes his head, then bows it for a moment before meeting Kristoff’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, Kristoff. There is nothing I can do for her. I can make her comfortable, give you some boiled herbs that will help to keep her a little warmer, but the ability to heal her is beyond my power.” Grand Pabbie’s voice is soft, but sure. He’s looking into Kristoff’s eyes with great compassion, seeing the little boy he had watched grow up, his heart breaking at the thought of being powerless to help him.

Kristoff blinks, regarding Grand Pabbie blankly for a moment. His training has prepared him for every situation he’s faced, every single one - except for this. Emotion finally washes over him, as helplessness and fear start to invade his mind.

“Grand Pabbie, what do I do? I can’t let her die.” He chokes on his words, and Bulda puts a comforting arm around him.

Grand Pabbie thinks for a moment, shaking his head grimly.

“She needs care, Kristoff, a loving hand. I feel this is something even beyond what conventional medicine can do. Even if you bring her to a hospital, how do you explain what happened to her?”

Kristoff nods his head numbly, knowing Grand Pabbie is right. He drops his head into his hands, willing himself to think.

_She needs a loving hand._

_She needs love._

_True love._

_She mentioned it was true love with Hans._

_She needs Hans._

The answer clicks into place, and instantly Kristoff knows what he must do. Wordlessly, he gathers Anna up, wrapping her in a blanket Bulda has brought out. He carries her out of the cabin, where Grand Pabbie is already leading out a horse. He mounts the horse, cradling Anna in his arms. Bulda comes rushing out of the cabin.

“Kristoff! Take the herbs for her, they might help.” She presses the small package into his hand and he winces. “Kristoff? What is it?”

“It’s nothing.” He tries to hide his hands but Bulda pulls them out forcefully. She gasps as she sees the puckered skin.

“Kristoff Bjorgman! How dare you try to leave here without telling me you were injured!” Bulda is seething, her eyes dark pools boring into his face.

He’s about to protest, to say he needs to leave, that Anna doesn’t have much time, but he knows it’s pointless with her. This woman is like a surrogate mother to him, having found him wandering in the woods as a young child. She couldn’t care for him on her own, with Grand Pabbie to look after already, so he had grown up in the foster system. However, he had spent as much time as he could with them in the mountain cabin. They had taught him how to hunt and fish, how to live in the mountains. Grand Pabbie had been known as a mountain healer in those parts, people coming to him from afar for his special herbs and poultices. And living so high up in the mountains, they had also served as an early warning system for the fire crews.

Kristoff feels he owes so much to these two gentle people, and indeed when Bulda returns with the poultice for his hands his heart leaps with gratitude. She applies the paste to his hands, working quickly but still with a light touch, wrapping cloth expertly over everything.

“Not my best work, I’m afraid, but it’ll have to do in a pinch. At least until you get proper medical attention.” She clucks, shaking her head as she wraps the last of the bandage. Once she’s done, she looks up into Kristoff’s face, eyes serious, face grave. “Now get her some help, and when she’s all better make sure to bring her back so we can meet her properly.” She grins mischievously, and before Kristoff can protest, she slaps the horse’s haunch and it takes off at a gallop.


	10. Chapter 9

Fire and Ice - Chapter 9

Kristoff keeps the horse at a light gallop, not wanting to overtax it, or jar Anna too much. He’s anxious - heart pounding, sweat matting his hair - not knowing how much time Anna has left. She feels so cold in his arms, and so still. From the little time he’s known her, he can already see this is an unnatural state for her. He remembers the herbs, and taking his free hand off the reins he scoops out a pinch, and slips it under her tongue. He’s holding his breath, not daring to hope, when her eyes start to flutter open. Kristoff lets out the breath he had been holding.

“K- Kristoff? What h- happened?” Her voice is hoarse, and she coughs violently. Kristoff reflexively clutches her tighter.

“Don’t try to talk. You were hurt.” He finds that he can’t meet her gaze, emotions that he’s never felt before in his life bubbling to the surface. She looks up at him with wide eyes, full of fear and confusion, the corners of her mouth turned down, lips trembling, and he feels his chest heave.

“Where’s Elsa?” She whispers, but in her tone and the resigned look in her eye Kristoff realizes she knows the answer. He doesn’t speak, just stares stoically ahead, consciously feeling her under his touch. He can feel her skin warming a little, but she’s still too cold, even under the blanket wrapped around her. She shivers, and again Kristoff’s arm tightens.

“Don’t worry Anna, we’ll get you help. I promise.” He’s so confident his plan will work. It _has_ to work. He can’t afford to think about failure, not now, not with _Anna_.

She’s quiet now, her eyelids fluttering, and for a heart-stopping moment Kristoff is afraid she’s slipped away, but she coughs again, and groans.

“Kristoff, I feel like hell. What happened to me? I remember finding Elsa, and trying to talk to her, and then a tree fell and I was terrified. But then everything went black and… I don’t remember much after that.” She pauses to take a breath, her lungs aching.

Kristoff is silent for a long time, his face inscrutable. Anna opens her mouth to say more when he finally breaks the silence.

“Did you know?” He says quietly, dropping his gaze.

Anna’s mouth falls open, her jaws moving up and down as she tries to form words to say.

“I- I don’t know what you mean-”

Kristoff finally looks at her, his brown eyes dark and serious.

“I saw it, Anna. I saw what she did.”

Anna closes her eyes, lays her head back, surrendering to the inevitable. All she had wanted was to protect her sister, protect her _secret_ , but she’s ultimately failed.

“What are you going to do?” Her voice is small, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

“What do you mean? I’m not gonna do anything. Hell, if it were up to me, I’d get her up here to help put out these fires. I’m sure she’d be pretty damn effective.” He’s shaking his head, lips forming into a low whistle.

Anna allows herself a weak smile, but only for a moment. Her ordeal is far from over.

“Where are you taking me?” She closes her eyes again, afraid of the answer but still anxious to hear it.

Kristoff is pensive for a moment, his gaze far away, as he measures his words. He’s thankful her eyes are closed, because he still can’t look her in the eye, especially with what he’s about to say.

“I took you to a- _friend_ , a healer of sorts, and he said that you need to be cared for. You need love, Anna. So I’m taking you to Hans.” He tries to say it quickly, hoping she can comprehend right away, because the knot in his chest would seriously hinder him having to repeat himself.

“Hans.” She nods, almost absent-mindedly, and Kristoff tells himself it’s only because she’s not quite herself yet, perhaps still suffering from the after-effects of her traumatic ordeal. Her eyes are fluttering again, and Kristoff spurs the horse faster.

A few beats of silence between them has Kristoff frantically checking for a pulse, until Anna’s eyes flutter open, bright blue orbs staring up at him.

“Kristoff?” She looks confused now, and Kristoff’s heart falls into the pit of his stomach.

“Yes, Anna. It’s me.” He rubs her arm gently to comfort her, at the same time trying to fight the rising panic inside of him.

“Tell me more about him.” She says softly, her eyelids falling heavy.

“Who?” Kristoff fights to maintain a steady tone, but his voice is already faltering. He’s recognizing signs of delirium in her, and he knows it’s a rapid decline after that.

“The healer. Your friend. He helped me… he sounds nice.” She’s fighting to stay conscious, he can see it, and he admires her all the more for her strength and resolve. He gives her arm another squeeze, and starts talking, grateful for a way he can help her.

“Well, Grand Pabbie is a pretty well-known healer in these parts. I’ve known him since I was pretty young, my memories are kinda hazy but him and Bulda filled me in on how we met - or rather how they found me, wandering in the woods,” Kristoff chuckles at this memory, although at the time the experience was nowhere near as light-hearted as he makes it.

“After that they sorta took me in, although I ‘officially’ went through the foster system, I really considered Grand Pabbie and Bulda my family. They’re not perfect, by any means, and they can be a little inappropriate, but they’re still my family.”

“Mmmm, Kristoff, they sound nice. I wish I could’ve met them.” Her words are slurring now, and Kristoff feels the buzz of panic thrum through his spine. _Not much time left_ , he thinks. _I need to keep her awake_.

“Well, you could still meet them, you know. When you’re all better, and you can find the time, they’d love to meet you. You have a standing invitation from Bulda. In fact, I think she means to kill me if I don’t bring you back to meet her.”

Anna smiles faintly, eyelids drooping. Kristoff pulls her closer to him, wrapping the blanket even tighter around her.

_Hang in there, Anna._

_Hang in there, please_.

\---

Elsa stumbles through the brush, the heat and smoke in this part of the forest unrelenting. She is desperately throwing up her hands, willing snow and ice up into air to combat the flames. She’s exhausted, breath coming in ragged gasps, but she needs to get out, needs to get far away, and never hurt anyone again. Her eyes are stinging, and she feels hot tears running down her face. Soon enough, she is unable to stop the racking sobs escaping from her throat.

_Oh Anna. I love you. Please know that_.

She briefly considers giving in, letting the fire take her, when she hears her name being called.

“Elsa!”

She looks around, wondering who it could be, when she sees a dark form emerge through the smoky haze.

“Elsa! Over here!” Hans is jogging up to her, his features assembled into a mask of intense concern.

“H- Hans…” Elsa looks around nervously, clearly not expecting Hans of all people to find her. Behind him, two men appear whom Elsa has never seen before. They hang back, their eyes never leaving the queen.

Hans places his hands on Elsa’s shoulders and his piercing gaze makes her look away.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He asks, his voice sincere enough to be believable. But Elsa knows his game, she’s known it the entire time.

“You can drop the act, Hans. My sister’s not around.” She’s seething with disgust, spitting the words out as she stares him down.

Hans’ posture visibly relaxes, but he never removes his hands from her shoulders. His expression doesn’t change either, green eyes fixed on her.

“That’s smart of you, snow queen. Makes things easier for me.” Before Elsa can react, he nods imperceptibly and steps aside, as one of his henchmen steps forward and tasers her, her body slumping listlessly to the forest ground.


	11. Chapter 10

Fire and Ice - Chapter 10

It’s a dreamscape, and she knows it, but she still runs.

_Anna_.

She sees her, hunched on the ground, fire raging all around her.

_Anna!_

She reaches her, reaches out for her, and at her touch her sister crumbles to ash.

She tumbles into consciousness, screaming, her parched throat making her lungs burn. Slowly her eyes focus, and she sees heavy damask drapes, partially open, the sun shooting bright rays through. She watches the dust motes dance in the light as her mind starts to process her surroundings.

_I’m back at the hotel. This is my room_.

She turns her head to look towards the door, moving to sit up, when she becomes aware that her body is not reacting to her brain’s commands. She can’t move.

Panic, like she’s never felt before, even on the day she had discovered her powers, hits her like a tidal wave, so violent it makes her nauseous. She dry heaves, choking on air, and if her stomach hadn’t been empty she would have brought up its contents.

The door suddenly clicks open, and he walks through. He’s changed his clothes from their meeting in the forest; a crisp linen dress shirt, slim fitted trousers that accentuate the fluidity of his body. His air is so polished, so _royal_ , that it becomes undeniable that he’s born for this kind of thing.

“Hans.” Elsa says through gritted teeth, and even in her panic she can still feel the visceral hatred towards this man bubbling to the surface. “What have you done to me? Why can’t I move?”

He walks towards the bed casually, his features blank. He reaches out with one hand, long fingers grazing the duvet lightly as he walks by. He stops to stand at the side of the bed, facing her, clasping his hands together in front of him. Lazily, he moves his gaze from the floral patterns of the duvet to Elsa’s face.

“Well, snow queen, I hardly think you’re in the position to be asking the questions here.” His tone is so condescending that it makes Elsa’s face burn.

“You son of a bitch! Who the hell do you think you are! You’ll pay for this, I swear! I’ll- I’ll-“

“You’ll what?” He’s sneering now, all semblance of civility gone. He pounces on top of her, hands braced on either side of her head, his face mere inches from hers. “You have no power here, I’ve made sure of that,” he spits out, mouth foaming with anger, “and now that everyone knows you’re a freak, you can never show your face ever again.”

Elsa closes her eyes, knowing in her heart that what he’s saying is true. She’s failed, her secret is out, and now she can never go home again.

“You need to find Anna,” she says quietly, her voice a whisper. Fighting the bile rising to her throat, she looks him in the eye. “Find my sister.”

“Oh don’t worry,” His air of calmness has returned, as he straightens himself up, smoothing out the rumples in his clothing. “I can’t do any of this without her.”

She’s dimly aware that he’s baiting her, but she can’t help it. She needs to know what he’s planning. Steeling herself for what he’s going to say, she takes a deep breath.

“What are you talking about? What are you up to?”

His lips twist upwards and he turns away from her, walking towards the window.

“Oh you know, just marrying your sister, but you knew that part.” He says dismissively, as he slowly draws the curtains closed, blocking out the light. Elsa’s heart is pounding as he turns back to her, his eyes burning with malice.

“The part I might have left out, is the part where I take over the kingdom.”

“Wh- What?”

“Well, you need to be out of the picture first, obviously, and you seem to be taking care of that part for me perfectly,” He grins at her, while sketching into an exaggerated bow, “but your sister I’ll need to keep around, since the laws won’t make me king if she dies.”

Elsa’s breath hitches as she processes his words, fear clouding her mind.

“She’ll never agree to any of this!”

“She will if she doesn’t know. She’s already agreed to marry me, I just have to keep her in the dark until the time comes.”

“And then what?”

He smiles deviously.

“I have ways of making her compliant.”

Elsa shudders as he comes closer to the bed, and she wants to get away but her body is still not responding. He clucks his tongue as he realizes what she’s trying to do.

“You can’t move, Elsa, I’ve given you a drug that paralyzes you from the neck down.” He sees the panic in her eyes and laughs. “But don’t worry, it’ll wear off.”

“Why are you doing this?”

He turns from her and walks towards the desk in the far corner of the room, his gait so casual it belies his true intentions.

“I’ll never ascend the throne in my lifetime, that much I’ve accepted. The only way to get the power I crave, the power I deserve, is to marry into another royal family.” He mindlessly picks up objects on the desk one by one; a pen, a writing pad, a magazine. “Especially a royal family that still has governmental sway, and are not just simpleton figureheads as they are in my country.” He scoffs as he mentions his family, discarding the object in his hand carelessly on the desk.

“Which brings me to you, your majesty.” He turns to her, and again bows low, and as he brings his head up, slowly, he’s baring his teeth in an exaggerated smile. “Your reputation as a cold bitch, _pardon the pun_ , preceded you, so I knew it would be hopeless with you. But your sister,” He shakes his head from side to side, whistling, “She was so naïve, positively dripping with desperation, that she was perfect.” He breaks into a wide, self-satisfied grin.

Elsa’s fear finally settles like a weight on her chest, and the panic she felt before is nothing compared to what she’s feeling now. Beyond fear, she feels helplessness - it’s easy to succumb, to let _herself_ go, but she needs to protect Anna.

“Do what you want to me, but please,” her voice breaks on the last word, physically pained to be begging this man, “please leave my sister out of this.”

Hans throws his head back and laughs, the sound ringing in her ears and reverberating in her mind. He tilts his head to look at her, his eyes burning.

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that.” His tone is mocking, and he breaks into a triumphant grin as her jaw falls slack, eyes wide with terror. He turns to leave the room, but her voice stops him, small and weak as it is.

“You won’t get away with this.” She whispers, as if saying it out loud she can will it to be true. He stops at the door, turns his head back to her as he’s turning the knob.

“Oh, I already have.” And the door slams shut behind him.


	12. Chapter 11

Fire and Ice - Chapter 11

They enter the hotel through a back service entrance, the moonlight helping to illuminate the partially open door. Kristoff carries Anna in his arms, the weight of her no longer a burden for him. Her consciousness flickers, and Kristoff tries desperately to keep her with him.

“Stay with me, Anna, come on, stay awake, please.” He repeats these words again and again, like a chant. It keeps him hopeful. She mumbles incoherent words in response, but he’s just grateful she’s responding at all.

They pass through empty hallways, Kristoff’s eyes darting everywhere, and in his agitated state his legs can’t keep up with his intentions. He stumbles up the stairwell, tries a floor and almost faints with relief when he sees concerned faces running towards him.

“Princess Anna!” A balding, portly man reaches them first, his manner is gentle and almost fatherly. Two middle-aged women join him, and together they support Anna, removing her from Kristoff’s arms. The jostling rouses her, and her eyes shoot open, as her mind quickly registers what’s happening.

“K- Kristoff?” She locks eyes with him, and what she sees is like a punch in her gut. He stands apart, as her people start to take her away, his arms hung low at his sides, hands limp and bandaged. He’s watching her go, his brown eyes brimming with longing, with regret, with resignation.

“Kristoff!” She tries to shout, but her voice is still hoarse, “Are you gonna be okay?” Her heart lightens slightly when she sees the corners of his mouth turn up, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” He calls back to her, attempting a teasing tone, but inside, all he can feel is the shattering of any semblance of composure as the walls protecting his heart begin to collapse. He fights to contain it, even as his heart is breaking, he straightens up, addressing the balding man, “Get her warm, and find Prince Hans right away!”

“We will. Thank you.” The man responds, a warmth and sincerity in his eyes that puts Kristoff a little more at ease.

“Make sure she’s safe!” He calls out, but the door is already closing on him. He stands for a moment, shell-shocked, as the events since he met Anna that fateful night come tumbling through his mind. He had been indifferent to her plight when they met, only wanting to help her out of a duty ingrained so deeply in him he couldn’t refuse a person in trouble. Along the way, the spunky redhead had unconsciously chipped away at his tough veneer. Now, at the end of the line, when he should have been able to walk away, job well done, he found that he couldn’t tear himself away.

Sighing deeply, knowing there’s nothing else for him to do, he turns and walks back the way he came. Exhaustion finally hits him, and he trudges slowly along the hall, the pain in his hands making itself known. He’s reached the door to the stairwell when the elevator doors nearby whoosh open, and out steps a lanky, well-dressed man. He walks straight ahead, an air of haughtiness about him, not even sparing a look Kristoff’s way. Two men, burlier than the first, emerge behind him. They, however, _do_ spare a look Kristoff’s way, the one closest to Kristoff brushing ever so slightly against him. They lock eyes, and Kristoff feels a knot form in his stomach. The man’s eyes never leave Kristoff’s until the three men disappear behind the same door Anna went through.

\---

“Anna!” Hans rushes towards Anna’s hunched figure on the chaise, as he motions everyone else out of the room with a flick of his wrist. His two henchmen linger momentarily until Hans nods, and they leave the room to stand guard outside the door.

“H- Hans.” Anna fights to straighten herself up, but she is weak from the cold. She shivers violently, and falls forward into Hans’ arms.

“Anna! You’re so cold! What happened?” He’s so sincere, and he’s holding her ever so gently.

“M- My s- sister,” She’s shivering so much she can barely get the words out, “Sh- She struck me. With her powers.”

“You said she would never hurt you.” He’s cradling her in his arms now, and Anna relaxes a little, hoping that this is the love that she needs.

“I was wrong.” She whispers, closing her eyes, trying to will back the tears threatening to fall.

“Well, let’s deal with that later, shall we? We need to get you warm.” He starts to bustle about, pulling the duvet off the bed and wrapping it around Anna’s shoulders. She’s hoping this will help more, that she’ll feel warmer, but she feels just as cold as before.

“H- Hans,” She touches his arm to get his attention, as he’s fussing with the duvet, “C- can you hold me?”

“Of course I can, my love.” He immediately drops what he’s doing and sits beside her, wrapping his arms around her. “How’s this? Better?”

She can’t lie to him, hasn’t the heart to lie to him, but she feels nothing but the cold, permeating her very being, shooting right to her core. The numbness starts in her extremities, and her mind starts to get muddled. She can barely comprehend what’s happening around her; Hans taking her by the shoulders, shaking her and calling her name. She can barely register sound, everything is muffled, like her ears are stuffed with cotton.

She thinks she hears something else now, but only realizes it when she sees Hans’ head snap up. She follows his gaze and sees her sister standing in the doorway, disheveled, a fierce look in her eye. Her mind lags as she tries to process what she sees, tries to understand why Elsa’s face is contorted in such fury, why she’s leveling Hans with such an intense glare.

“Get away from my sister!” Elsa screams through gritted teeth, hands curled into fists at her sides, willing her power into them. Her fists glow blue as she stares Hans down.

“Snow queen.” Hans doesn’t move from Anna’s side, his voice still smooth and unmoved. “I didn’t know you had it in you.” He spares Elsa a sidelong glance, but in his posture and tone it’s clear he’s paying her no regard.

“Don’t ever underestimate me again, you bastard! You don’t know who you’re dealing with!” She’s seething now, the words coming out in an angry staccato. Hans sighs heavily, rising slowly from the chaise.

“And YOU don’t know who YOU’RE dealing with, snow queen!” In a flash, he’s reaching into his coat pocket and there’s a loud bang, as the bullet leaves the chamber of his gun.

It almost happens in slow motion, the bullet trailing through the air straight to Elsa’s heart. Hans’ aim is true, and Elsa would have been dead, if it wasn’t for the shadow flinging itself in front of her. Elsa catches her involuntarily, watching in horror as Anna lies prone, the bullet meant for her lodging itself in her sister’s right shoulder.

“Anna! Oh my god, Anna,” Elsa is sobbing, clutching her sister to her, shaking uncontrollably. She doesn’t register that Hans is lifting his gun again, aiming at her head now, making to erase the line of Arendelle completely.

Hans never gets to make his shot, as a big and burly form unexpectedly collides into him, knocking him to the floor with a crash. They land on the coffee table, shards and splinters of wood flying into the air as it disintegrates under the impact. Hans is winded, but is able to keep his wits about him long enough to hold onto the gun. He tries to twist around, to get his arm out from under him so he can use the gun, but there’s a heavy weight on him that he can barely move.

“Get off of me! How dare you?! Do you know who I am? I am a PRINCE!” Hans spits out the words in a fury, trying desperately to get out from under this man’s hold, but to no avail.

“I don’t care who the fuck you are, you’re not going anywhere.” Kristoff holds Hans to the floor, one arm braced across Hans’ back and shoulders, as he straddles him across his legs so he can’t move. He has Hans’ one free arm twisted around and holds it against his back. Satisfied that Hans is no longer a threat, he shifts his attention to the two sisters. His heart sinks as he sees Anna lying limp in Elsa’s arms.

“A- Anna?” He almost loses all feeling in his body, and if it weren’t for Hans squirming underneath him he would have fallen to the floor himself.

Elsa is still sobbing, her hands wandering to the site of her sister’s wound. In her grief, her power escapes her, and the area under her hand starts to frost over. Elsa blinks, looks at the wound, blinks again. Her sobbing stops, as her face contorts in wonder. She sits up quickly, wiping roughly at her tears with her sleeve. Hovering her hand over the wound, she closes her eyes.

_I can do this._

_I can help her._

_I love her._

She places her hand on top of the wound, and wills the ice downward. She can feel the familiar vibration in her body as the ice leaves her fingers, watches as it encompasses the wound. In her mind’s eye she can see the ice going down through the layers of damage, filling in and effectively cauterizing the broken blood vessels. The ice reaches the bullet and spreads around it, encasing it. She wills her ice back now, bringing the bullet out with it, and as she opens her eyes, the bullet is in her hand. She stares at it, in awe of her own power, until Anna stirs underneath her.

“E- Elsa?” The colour is returning to Anna’s cheeks, her skin finally warming. She opens her eyes to see her sister holding her and smiles. “I knew you could do it.”


	13. Epilogue

Fire and Ice - Epilogue

Anna looks up into the sky, not a cloud in sight. The last time she was on this mountain she could barely see the sky for the smoke. She sighs, recognizing other differences, like the warmth she feels now, the sun beating down on her skin, when before she was so, so cold. She recalls a soot-stained cocktail dress and mangled Louboutins, where now she wears a long sleeve thermal shirt and sensible pants, with proper hiking boots. She looks ahead of her and locks eyes with him. Mostly, she remembers him.

He was gruff when they met, teasing and scolding her. She thinks she might have hated him at first, smiling now at her frustration then. He stands now on a hillock, tall and broad, his head turned back to look at her.

"You coming, feisty-pants? Or do I have to carry you up this mountain again?" He grins that lopsided grin she loves so much.

"Correction. You carried me _down_ the mountain. I walked up myself." She shoots back, setting her mouth into a mock pout.

"If you could call it that." He mutters under his breath.

"What was that?" She's making her way to where he's standing, carefully picking her way through the brush.

"I said, let's get a move on!" He takes her hand, helping her up onto the mound he's standing on.

"I heard that." She swats him lightly on the arm, and he cowers, feigning hurt.

"No but seriously Anna, you're doing pretty well right now." He slips an arm around her waist, helping her keep her balance. "And I know I tease you about it, but I was really impressed with how you held up on the mountain last time." His big brown eyes regard her intently, and she blushes.

"Thank you, Kristoff."

"No problem." He moves to help her off the hillock so they can continue their journey, but she holds him back. He turns back to her, his eyebrows rising.

“Kristoff… I- I want to thank you. I mean, properly thank you, I- I don’t think I got the chance to, after everything that happened.” She bows her head, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. Biting her lip, she peeks up at him from under her lashes. The look she sees on his face gives her courage, and she starts to speak again.

“I wouldn’t be here, if it weren’t for you.” She takes a deep breath, staring into his deep brown eyes. “You helped me when I was in need-“

“It’s my job, Anna.” He interrupts her softly, looking down at the ground and kicking the dirt. She touches his chin, tipping his face up gently to look at her.

“Job or not, you helped me, you stuck with me, you saved my life.” Her eyes start to mist over, and she swipes her face with the back of her hand, “And my sister’s. And for that, I don’t think we can ever repay you.” She suddenly remembers Elsa’s words once they were alone in Anna’s hospital room, before Elsa headed back to Arendelle, something about a _medal_ , a _title_ , but the painkillers she had been given at the time makes remembering hazy.

He looks at her now, his gaze piercing to her very core, and she feels a warmth in her chest, blooming and spreading throughout her body.

“Anna,” He steps up very close to her, so close she can feel his breath against her head, can see the rise and fall of his chest, can smell his faint musk, “You give me far too much credit. In fact, I would say you and your sister helped each other. I’m just the dumb oaf who sat on your psychotic ex-fiance.” He grins after saying this, his grin widening even more as he remembers the satisfaction he felt after also laying low the two henchmen at the door, but the grin disappears when her face falls.

“Oh god, Kristoff. I’m so sorry about that! He could’ve killed you! I- I had no idea…” Her voice trails off, and she looks so small, involuntarily curling in on herself.

“Don’t beat yourself up, Anna, he fooled everyone. I hope he rots in prison once he gets extradited. I heard his country’s dungeons have really medieval-type conditions.” Kristoff chuckles, but Anna still doesn’t smile, just bites her lip, eyebrows knitting together.

“Aw hey, come on Anna, I was just kidding. I’m sorry, my humour’s kinda off right now.” He bends his knees so his face is level with hers, and he takes her lightly by the shoulders, brown eyes searching in blue.

Anna finally cracks a smile, the corners of her mouth moving upwards as she looks him in the eye.

“Who said you were funny in the first place? Not me.” She smiles at him mischievously, and his grin is so wide it stretches his cheeks.

“That’s my feisty girl.” He laughs heartily, and as he stretches up to his full height he kisses her hastily on her forehead, clearly carried away by the moment. They both freeze, Anna’s mouth slowly forming into an ‘o’, Kristoff blushing and stuttering.

“Oh man, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! That was so inappropriate- god- s- sorry, I didn’t mean to- I mean- I meant to- no! What I meant to say is-“

“Shut up and kiss me.” She reaches up, grabbing him by the neck and pulling him down for a kiss, soft lips meeting tentative ones, awkwardness melting away as they find their groove with each other.

They break away at the sound of barking, as a big mountain dog comes running up to them and almost tackles Kristoff to the ground.

“Hey, hey buddy! Did ya miss me?” He’s leaning down, ruffling the big dog’s fur, fighting off the kisses and licks he’s being bombarded with.

“Who’s this?” Anna leans down to touch the dog, but at the sound of her voice he immediately tries to leap onto her, Kristoff laughing and holding him back.

“This is my buddy, Sven. Sven, this is Anna.” Kristoff holds the overexcited dog down, as he makes the introductions.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Sven.” Anna reaches down and takes Sven’s paw, shaking it, as he tries to lick her hand and she laughs.

“ _It’s nice to meet you too, Anna._ ” Kristoff says in a goofy voice, clearly speaking for his dog, but Anna just eyes him curiously.

“Uh… yeah… sorry… it’s just something I do with my dog. Uh… anyway…” He trails off, muttering something under his breath, running his hand through his blond locks. Anna turns her head, hiding her smile, as she starts to rub Sven’s belly, the big dog having plopped himself down on the ground, deciding he wants more of her attention.

“Well, well, well. It’s about time you got here.” A scratchy but sweet voice calls down to them. They look up to see Bulda standing in the doorway of the cabin, hands on her ample hips, hair a mess, apron stained. But she’s smiling so warmly, cocking her head at Anna and beckoning to her with an outstretched arm.

“I told you I’d bring her, didn’t I?” Kristoff sighs, rolling his eyes good-naturedly at his ‘surrogate’ mom.

“Well you don’t always listen to me, boy! How am I supposed to know when you take me seriously or not?” She reprimands him, as she ushers Anna into their cozy abode. Kristoff only laughs, as Sven runs past him, disappearing into the darkness of the cabin. Anna pauses at the doorway, letting a chattering Bulda walk ahead of her.

“You coming?” She’s turned her head to look at him, one hand on the doorframe, and for a moment Kristoff’s heart almost seizes in his chest at the sight of her. The sun reflecting off of her strawberry blonde hair seems to make it glow, as it falls in two braids down her shoulders. Her blue eyes train on him, wide and open, the corners of her lips turning upwards into a resplendent smile that makes his breath catch. She lifts her arm, reaching out a hand to him.

“Yeah,” He nods his head, smiling crookedly at her as he takes her hand in his, “I am most _definitely_ coming.”


End file.
